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Friday, August 24, 2018

Reading Books Without Opening It

Reading is fun, my English teacher always said. As you snuggled yourself in a bunch of books you will see different worlds, perspectives and it will change you.

But books, no matter how hard we care will get old and eventually become useless. Horrible instances for a bookworm like me, indeed.

Say no more, scientists can read closed books, identifying letters printed on stacks of paper up to nine sheets thick.

Is this some form of magic? You may ask. Not magic – but pure science.

The prototype device uses terahertz radiation, the band of electromagnetic radiation between microwaves and infrared light. The said radiation has a number of advantages compared to X – rays, Ultrasound waves and another kind of radiation.

This device can be useful for different classes of people. First, it can be useful to understand and interpret antique books found in museums. Second, it can be convenient to scan through large documents without sorting them, especially in the banks or libraries.

Nevertheless, the prototype is still on its way to improve. Since the device is making its improvements - let us first continue reading books by opening it shall we?

Written by Adjie Perez, Lucis Philippines contributor.
Image: History of the Ancient World